Window lifter



Jan. 27,k 1931. w. s. PRIT'CHARD WINDOW LIFTER 2 She-ets-'Sheet l Filed Feb. 13, 192.8

Jamt 27, 1931. w. s. PRrrcHARD WINDOW LIFTER Filed Feb. 13I 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 27, 1931 UNITE-Di. TES

P. Aram A .om-:ICE

WILLIAM s. PRITCHARD, or DETROIT;MIeHrGANfAssrnon fionocroa raonucrscon- Pomvllon,-` .ornnsraornnmenienm- Av ccmone'rlouj .or Yoan..

WINDOW LIFTEB 'Appucmmmea February 1a, i928. serial no. 254,082,-

This invention relates Vto Window rcontrolhng devices and has .particularapplication to controlfdevices forfthe sliding Windows of automobiles and other. vehicles. v

lOne of the primary objects ofxthepresent invention is to provide a device of the Vabove character distinguished by its simplicity of construction` and operation, which not..only enhances. its value i .both ,mechanically and w commercially,. but .provides av design of` a strong and durable nature and one Vthat may be economically:manufactured` Ar further object of the invention is -rto provideiame'chanism wherein the usual racks u, andrgears for f swinging `the Alifter armand their accompanying inefficiencies `are eliminated and one that affords a n relatively greater leverage soy -that only a` minimum amount voiceifort `is required to operate the gu window. f

Further objects ofthe invention -residein `the percu'liar constructionI of the nlifter-mechanism `which willbe :made .more fapparentf-as this description; proceeds,l especially; when u :considered in connectiontvith the accompanyi drawingswherein,

figure `l is an insidefelevationiota vehicle f door With thelining removed vand'showing a window controllmeohanisfm -rembodyingfmy invention; Figure -2 is a rear elevational view-of lifter actuating mechanism; l

' Figure-Bieri sectional .vievvrtakeny on the plane indicated by the line l3 3 of Figure 2; In they present s instance l the. invention is shown as applied to thedoorl-O of -amotor vehicle having in its uppenportionftheopening vl1 and in its `lower portion'thechamber 12 for receivingfthe Window 13.@When lowered from-a position closing the opening-11. Se-

cured to: the door in any/suitable mannerand preferablyv although not necessarily,` eXtending across thesame is the loc-k board. 14..V Se

the

cured to the lock board intermediatetheends able mamlen forming an ,annularhousng Rotatably mounted within kthe housinglSfand having ..a diametersubstantially equal to the interior diameter of the housing is an actuat-y ingzmember 19..' As zshovvn, the member 19 is .formedfrom sheet metal andis providedvvith a series .of corrugations, thedistance between thecrests lof the corrugations being sub stantially equalftothe-'width of the housing 18 so that Lthe member 19 not only contacts With the end Walls .of the housing throughout its periphery, but also contacts with the Yopposite inner side Walls of. the members 16 and 17 of the housing and .accordingly laterali or endvvise movement of the vactuating member relative'totliehousing is prevented-i The corrugations formed inthe member l9iare so designed that `they form .a continuous spiral passage 201eXtendingfrom a point-adjacent thecenterof the member 19t@ a point adjacent ythe periphery1there0f,\ as ,clearly illustrated v.in thedrawing. Journaledwithin .aligned centrallyarranged `apertures 21 and y 22fformed in the'members 16 and 17 respec tively is an operating shaft 23 having an enannularshoulder 25 of the enlarged yportion preferably has af bearing .i engagement With the inner Wall ofthe member-,17 and the outer shoulder 26 fis secured to thesubstantially flat portion 27 'of the member 419- and maintains .the-same in contacting relationwith the inner Wall of the member 16. The shaft 23 is ,pro-

vided with the usual'squared portion 28 upon Which i the# customary.y operatingy handle is adapted. to be secured.l

ForV connecting .the actuating mechanism tothe glass, I provide the control arm 29 having a roller y30` upon. the outer end thereof arranged to` .engage a .laterallyy opened 0chan'- nelY shaped strip` attached to thebottom edge of ther glass panel .and fashioned to retain the roller 3.0 therein@ The inner or opposite end ofthe control arm is ypivotally connected toa lever 3l by means of the pin .32. Thevopposite end of lever 31.is fulcrumed upon the housing 18 by lmeans of the pin 33. Securedrespectivelyto` the arm 29 and .lever 31 lat a predetermined distance from the. piv otalconnection 32 arethe laterally projecting pins 34 and 35. As shown these pins project through arcuate slots 36 and 3T formed in the member` 16 of the housing and project Within the spiral passage 20. The extent of curvature of the slots being calibrated to coincide with the path of travel of the pins Sel and 35 about the fulcrum 33 from one extreme position of the arm 29' and lever 31 to the other extreme position.

With the foregoing arrangement,it will be noted that When the parts are in the position illustrated by the full lines in Figure 1 the pin 34 will be positioned adjacent the inner end of the passage 20, While the pin 35 upon the lever` 31 will assume a position slightly forwardly of the pin 34 so that when the member 19 is caused to rotate the pins `Will be compelled to travel in the pat-h defined by the arcuate slots 36 and 87 and in so doing swing the arm 29 and lever 3l about the fulcrum 33 until these parts assume the dotted line position illustrated in Figure l. In this latter position of the parts, the pin 35 is positioned adjacent the outer'cnd of the circuitous passage 20, and the pin Se is positioned to the rear of this pin.`

Thus from the foregoing, it will be apparent that owing to the peculiar construction of the operating mechanismproper an unusual amount of leverage is afforded and accordingly comparativelylittle effort is required to raise or lovver the Window. If desired, a suitable coil spring not shown) may be utilized to c'ounterbalance the Weight of the Window, and thus further minimize the effort required to operate the Window. The herein described construction is also inherently self-locking so that the Window may be retained in any of its adjusted positions.

An arrangement of the above character offers the possibility of eliminating complicated and ineiiici ent operating means for the vertically movable glass panel and renders possible the production of a commercially satisfactory device that is simple in construction, eflicient and positive in operation and one that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. The combination With a frame and a closure slidable in said frame, of actuating means for said closure including an annular housing carried by said frame, an annular member rotatably mounted Within said housing having a spirally arranged passage in one face thereof, and a control arm' having one end connected to said closure and having a lateral projection intermediate the ends projecting through Aan arcuate slot formed in one Wall of said housing and engageable With the passage aforesaid.

2. The combination With a frame and a closure slidable in said frame, of actuating means for said closure including a housing secured to the said frame, a member rotatably mounted Within said housing having a circuitous passage in one face thereof, and a control arm having a portion connected to said closure and having another portion projecting through an arcuate slot formed in one Wall of said housing and engageable with the passage aforesaid, said arcuate slot being calibrated to coincide with the path defined by the project-ion during the movement of the lever." i

3; In a device of the class'described, the

combination with a. frame and a closure slidable in said fra-me, of means providing a spiral guide, ya pair of levers having their adjacent ends pivotally connected and having their oppositeV ends connected .respectively to' a fixed support andto saidclosure, means carried by said levers engaging respectively in said guide, andmeans for Yfor rotating said member,as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination With a frame anda closure sli dable in said frame, of actuating means for said closure including a housing secured to thel said frame,` a corrugated member rotatably mounted Within said housing,

said corrugations arranged to cooperate With one Wall of said housing to form a closed spirally arranged passage, and an operable connection between said recess and closure.

6. The combination with -a frame and a closure slidable in said frame, ofv actuating means for said closure including a housing secured to said frame, a control arm having one end connected to said closure, a lever having one end fulcrumed upona fixed part and the opposite end pivotally connectedto said control arm, and means disposed Within said housing 'connected to said control arm and lever intermediate the ends thereof for actuating the same.

7. The combination with a frame and a closure slidable in said frame, of actuating means for said closure including 'a housing secured to said frame, a control `arm connected to said closure, aflever pivotally connected to said control arm and fulcrulned upon said housing, said lever and control arm having lateral projections intermediate the ends thereof arranged to project through slots formed in one Wall of said housing, and means arranged Within said housing oper tively engaging the said projections for actuating said control arm and lever.

8. The combination with a frame and a to said closure, means on each of said levers closure vsli-dable in said frame, of actuating engaging in saidgroove at one side of the aXls means for said closure inciuding a housing of rotatlon of said member and means for rosecured to said frame, a control arm connecttating said member. ed to said closure, a lever pivotally connected y In testimony whereof to said control arm and fulcrumed upon said WILLIAM housing, said lever and control arm having lateral projections intermediate the ends thereof projecting through arcuate slots formed in said housing, and a rotatable member disposed Within said housing having a spirally arranged groove formed in one face thereof for receiving the projections afore-l said.

9. The combination With a frame and a closure slidable in said frame, of actuating means for said closure i'ncludingra member rotatably carried by the frame and having a spirally arranged passage formed in vone face thereof, a control arm connected to said closure, 4a lever pivotally connected to said control arm and fulcrumed to a fixed part, and means carried by the control arm and lever engageable in the passage formed in said member for swinging the control arm and lever about the said fulcrum upon rotation of the said member.

10. The combination With a frame and a closure slidable in said frame, of actuating means for said closure including astationary part, a member rotatively mounted upon said stationary part having a spirally arranged passage therein, a control arm connected to said closure, a lever pivotally connected to said control arm and fulcrumed upon a support, means carried by the control arm and lever engageable in said spirally arranged passage for swinging the said control arm and lever upon rotation of the member, and means engageable with the last-mentioned I aiiix my signature.v S. PRITCHARD.

Vmeans for accurately guiding said control arm and lever along predetermined paths.

11. The combination With a frame and a closure slidable in said frame, of actuating means for said closure including a stationary part, a member rotatably mounted upon said stationary part having a spirallyarranged passage therein, 'a control arm connected to said closure, a lever pivotally connected to said arm and fulcrumed upon a support, and lateral projections carried by said control arm and lever extending through arcuate slots formed in said stationary part and engageable With the passage aforesaid, the paths defined by said slots being calibrated to coincide with the paths defined by said proj ections during the swinging movement of the control arm and lever.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a frame and a closure slidable in said frame, of a rotatable member having a spiral groove formed therein, a pair of pivotally connected levers, the free end of one lever being pivoted to a fixed support, the free end of the other lever being connected lto loo 

